A Saturday afternoon in the garden

I felt kind of out of touch with my gardens.

2 weeks of extreme heat, drought, work, soccer and being a taxi Mom left me time for nothing other than a bit of watering.

Well today I wanted to change that!

The weather was warm, but not too hot and Friday's heavy rains left everything well watered.

Looking at the back garden, I was once again reminded that I wanted to move a few things.

The Culver's Root falls over every year (bringing the Prairie Coneflower with it) and every year I tell myself that I need to find it (and the Prairie Coneflower!) a better place in the yard.

The blooms are pretty and the bees love it but it needs a better place

A trip to the compost pile shows me this years runaway vine

With any luck it is a pumpkin vine but I have a funny feeling it is Acorn Squash again.

Something funny is going on with this 'White Swan'  Echinacea

The Turks Cap Lily's are in their glory. I'm really not a big fan of these. Every year I tell them if I find a single Lily Beetle on them, they are OUTTA there!

The Oleander's sure are taking their sweet time putting out blooms this year

My (not so) Obedient Plant

I thought the Monkshood blooms were a lot darker?

Still pretty

I like their bloom color beside this Ninebark

This Daylily bloom was a pleasant surprise. I just planted it a few weeks ago. It was from a friend and I didn't expect to see any blooms this year. I'll have to ask her it's name

  The Texas Red Salvia is finally starting to bloom too. I think it was our hot, Texas like weather last week that got it started.

Rudbeckia already?

Thyme in bloom

Almost forgot to check on the 'Empress Wu'

I paid and arm and a leg for this last summer, but I HAD to have it!

She only had 3 leaves last year and again earlier this spring, but now I think she's happy.

I can't wait to see her at maturity - 5 feet tall and wide!!

A few garden friends I found today

It was a great day in the back gardens.

Tomorrow, the vegetable garden!

Fertilizer Friday - Flaunt your Flowers July 28th

I can't believe July is almost gone!

I'm linking in to Tootsie's Fertilizer Friday

Here's what's been going on in my garden this week

Here's a view of the back garden from the farm trail. The rain has perked things up a little but I still find it is lacking color for this time of year

I'm really loving this variegated Sedum 'Frosty Morn' this year!

And here with 'Pink Double Delight'

This Amaranthus is a volunteer from last years 'Love Lies Bleeding'

I think the Zinnia's are stealing the show back here this year!

Liatris

Balloon Flower 'Fuji White'

A bucket full of Black Petunia's

Rosa 'Home and Garden'  I really wish they would have given this Rose a prettier name!

First year for blooms from this Ligularia 'The Rocket'

And finally, a pale pink Hollyhock. I waited 2 years for this to bloom thinking it would be a black one.

Disappointing, but it IS a pretty bloom

Zucchini gone mad!!

I planted 8 zucchini plants this year - 6 green and 2 yellow.

These plants have been giving me fruit for weeks.

The heat and drought didn't bother them in the slightest.

When I got tired of eating zucchini I started giving them away.

I've made stuffed zucchini, stir-fried zucchini, zucchini bread, zucchini muffins, baked zucchini. 

On Saturday, I had 37 left over zucchini on my kitchen island.

I put 10 in a bag and left them on a friends porch

I put 10 in a bag for my sister

I sent 5 home with the delivery man

3 home with the tow truck driver

8 were given away separately to friends

That left 1 zucchini on my island for me.

I thought that was the end of the zucchini.

The heat and lack of water finally slowed them down.

Then, we had rain.

Monday I picked 8 zucchini.

Today I picked 12 more.

Zucchini anyone?

Thank You Mother Nature!

I woke up at 4 am to the sound of thunder.

I lay in bed listening to the rain hitting the roof and the plants outside.

It made me smile
I'm not sure how long it rained, but it was good...all the rain barrels are full again!

Thank You Mother Nature!

The toughest of the bunch

We are still waiting for rain.
The last good rain was June 24th.
.I'm loving the great weather, don't get me wrong, but I'm really getting concerned for the trees and the gardens. I've been giving some water where I can but the well isn't looking too full.
There are cracks in the ground so large I can stick my fingers in. This crack has a small toad down there somewhere - he hid down there when I wanted to take his picture.

Yet there are still some real troopers in my garden, defying the odds.
These Zinnia's are blooming their little hearts out

Next to them are some 'Little Hero' Marigolds
They sure have earned their name to be blooming like this!

These Turks Cap Lily's are not bothered in the least

Echinacea and Globe Thistle

Nothing bothers Daylily's

To think this seed was stashed here during the winter by a bird or mouse

The wonders of nature!

Now PLEASE Mother Nature, some rain!

Hot, hot, HOT!

37°C in the shade??

Today we could break a record.

The high could get up to 38°C today.

With the humidity it will feel more like 48°C.

I took the day off work and am lazing about trying to stay cool.

Our last good rain was on June 24th and we have had 2 weeks of hot and humid weather.

It is truly amazing that there is ANYTHING left blooming!

The Ditch Lily's are blooming happily

The Echinacea hardly seems bothered with the heat

This hidden Dahlia insists it's time to bloom

'Pink Double Delight'

The first sunflower bloom- compliments of the birds. I haven't ever planted sunflowers yet every year I have them blooming in the gardens.

Another plant I don't have to think about planting - I haven't planted Nigella in years.

I really like them so I'm glad the re-seed so readily

. 'Midas Touch' is still blooming

This Queen of the Prairie- I didn't want to plant it out in the dry conditions so I left it in the pot where it is happily blooming.

My favorite Hosta Ventricosa blooms, droopy but still going strong

I'm linking in to Fertilizer Friday with Tootsie

Stay cool everyone!